SHELL, AGIP CONFIRM CAR BOMBS DETONATED; NO

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001432 SIPDIS SIPDIS DOE FOR GPERSON, CGAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR SLISER STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2016 TAGS: EPET ENERG ASEC PTER NI SUBJECT: SHELL, AGIP CONFIRM CAR BOMBS DETONATED; NO INJURIES REPORTED Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Mike Achu, Corporate Security Coordinator for Shell Petroleum and Development Corporation, confirmed that a car bomb was detonated on the Shell compound in Port Harcourt on December 18. The car in which the bomb was planted, as well as several other cars parked nearby, were damaged in the explosion. According to Lete Adedibe, in charge of security for Shell at the Port Harcourt facilities, the car had been parked near a club on the company compound. No one was harmed in the blast, Adedibe said. ¶2. (C) Fidelis Anju, Agip's General Manager for Public Affairs, confirmed that a car bomb exploded outside the perimeter fence surrounding the company's Port Harcourt complex on December 18. There were no casualties. The explosion occurred between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, Anju said. ¶3. (C) The explosions occurred after the media received a message, reportedly from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND),which stated that MEND would detonate three car bombs in the Delta region on December 18. (Comment: Over the course of the year, several distinct groups have appropriated for themselves the use of the acronym MEND. For now, we have no reason to believe this is the same "MEND" that engineered the January/February kidnappings and oil facility attacks this year. End Comment.) BROWNE